City leaders have said that the shift in leadership won’t mean a departure from some policies that have sparked controversy, especially among Escondido’s large Latino population.

Those policies include the Police Department’s frequent staging of traffic safety checkpoints and an unusually close partnership with federal immigration officials that has led to hundreds of deportations.

“Craig will continue our partnership with immigration and we will strengthen the checkpoints,” Mayor Sam Abed said Friday.

Some critics of the department said Friday they hoped Carter might soften some of those policies and try new policing methods that might help bridge the city’s racial divisions.

“We’re glad to see new leadership and we’re hopeful things in Escondido can improve,” said Kevin Keenan, executive director of the local chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union. “It will take new approaches to fix the damage, especially with the Latino and immigrant communities.”

Carmen Miranda, a community activist and former City Council candidate, said Carter should immediately end the checkpoints and immigration partnership. She said he should also focus on community policing, where officers walk through neighborhoods and form relationships with residents, merchants and young people.

Community leaders said that regardless of what happens with the controversial policies, Carter is someone with the charisma and social skills to help bring Escondido together.

“He doesn’t alienate anyone and he gets people to work together,” Councilman Ed Gallo said.

City Manager Clay Phillips said the ability to foster strong working relationships with businesses, schools and community groups was a key reason he chose to promote Carter over two other captains up for the chief job — Bob Benton and Mike Loarie.

Phillips said Carter also got high ratings from outside law enforcement professionals who evaluated the captains this summer.

Councilwoman Olga Diaz said hiring a chief from outside could have given the department a fresh start. But the rest of the council favored promoting from within because the department had three talented captains.

Maher was placed on leave last September and announced his retirement seven weeks later. City officials have repeatedly declined to comment on why Maher was put on leave, saying employee privacy rights prevented them from revealing details of a “personnel investigation” related to Maher.

An anonymous email sent to City Council members in June said the investigation was prompted by text messages exchanged by Carter — the new chief — and Benton. The email described those messages as racist and insubordinate.

City officials have declined to say whether the text messages had anything to do with Maher’s departure, or whether Carter and Benton sent the messages. Carter and Benton have also declined to comment, and Carter didn’t return calls Friday.

Friday’s promotion continues a rapid ascent for Carter, 50, who was promoted from lieutenant to captain in March. He joined the Escondido Police Department in 1992. Carter’s annual salary as chief will be $160,550.

Mike Garcia, president of the labor union representing Escondido police officers, said the union’s leaders were upbeat about the new chief.